Fighting
by GracefullyWritten
Summary: Chuck has loved Blair for all of his life, but after the Georgina incident, they drifted apart. While they gang is halfway through college, Chuck discovered that Blair is engaged to the man of her dreams, Joseph. Chuck/Blair, AU. Read on to find out!
1. The First Meeting

Well, this is actually the biggest story I've been working on! I've been writing this for about a month, and the place I'm at so far is around 18,000 words. And I'm not even done yet! Updates will be weekly, since I have many of the chapters already written. I will continue to write this as I go along, and I hope that you enjoy this! Since this is the first chapter, I'll give you some basic info.

This story is set in an alternate universe. Some parts of the GG world are referenced/alluded to, but let it be known that this story is defenitely AU.

I don't know how many chapters there will be, but I'm hoping the story won't be too long.

It's is fluffy and sexy at some parts. You've been warned.

I don't own GG. Obviously. :P

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"Who's_ that_?" five year-old Blair sneered as she saw the strange dark-haired boy in a yellow shirt with beige shorts striding towards them, the little group that consisted of Blair Waldorf, Serena van der Woodsen, and Nate Archibald. Her delicate little features were turned into a scowl as soon as she saw the smirking boy on the playground of their kindergarten center.

Serena shrugged, but Nate grinned and waved at the boy. Blair stared at him in shock. This was _her_ Nate, _her_ fairy-tale prince! What was he doing with those types of bad boys? Blair shuddered at the thought. Bad boys were dirty, imperfect, and always liked to get into trouble. At least that was what Dorota told her.

Serena rolled her eyes and turned her attention on Nate instead. "You know him?" she asked curiously, her two missing front teeth making her look foolish. Of course, Serena was the first to lose her baby teeth, and Blair was second. Blair was always second at everything.

Nate watched the boy getting closer. "Yeah, he's Chuck Bass. I met him on a play date. He's real cool."

Blair sniggered. "Is he really called Chuck? That's a stupid name." Serena laughed in appreciation of Blair's observation.

"Well, _that's_ a stupid headband," Chuck commented as he reached the group just in time to hear Blair's unkind remark.

Nate coughed uncomfortably. "Um, Chuck, these are my friends, Blair," Nate told him, pointing at Blair, "and Serena." He finished off with pointing at Serena, who beamed at Chuck.

Chuck eyed both of them like they were forbidden pieces of candy. "Are all of your other friends…_girls_?" he asked, while eyeing Blair hungrily. Blair, who wasn't sure what Chuck was staring at exactly, rolled her eyes, which was something she knew how to do as soon as she could walk and talk.

Nate blushed. "No, they're my only other girlfriends- I mean friends of mine who are girls."

Chuck nodded in approval. "Good," he commented. "You don't want to be…_surrounded_." Unconsciously, he licked his lips.

Blair was bored by this conversation. This boy was nothing but trouble. Trouble spelled with a capital _T_. He was the perfect type of troublemaker who she could use her evil icy glare on. While he stared at Nate, he shot a glance at her and smirked. Blair, who was taken aback, scrunched her face up and stared at him with as much hate as she could muster.

"Well, Nate, Serena, and I have things to do," she informed this strange little boy. "So we'll see you later." She grabbed Serena's arm and tugged on it. Serena, who was still staring at Nate, broke out of her trance.

Chuck sneered at Nate. "What are you going to do with _them_?" he asked viciously. "Are you going to play Barbie dolls all day with them?" His eyes were taunting Nate, and he had a devilish look on his face.

Blair tugged on Serena's arm. "NO," she announced. "We'll go play on the playground."

Serena bobbed her head up and down. "Well, let's go then," she said. "Nate, c'mon and play with us!"

Nate shot an apologetic look at Chuck. "Sorry, but I'm going to play on the playground with Serena and Blair."

Chuck stepped forwards with them. "Then I'm coming too."

Blair just frowned at the little boy. She did not want him here. She did not like him one bit. Well, maybe she liked him a little bit, but still! He was only going to cause a rumpus, and Blair knew it immediately. Chuck smirked at her again, and Blair just rolled her eyes.

"We don't really want you to come."

"I wasn't asking," he snapped at her.

Serena and Nate just started walking to the playground. "You guys are spoiling the fun!" Serena yelled.

Blair started running after them, with Chuck not far behind.

He liked this girl. As soon as he had seen her, he liked her. She had pretty eyes, pretty curls, and a face that was beautiful. When he stared at her, he could forget about his father, the one who never paid any attention to him. She looked like an angel, even when she gave him hate glares.

When he talked to her that morning, when they first met, she was mean and sarcastic. He liked her, way better than he like her blonde friend. He was glad to be Nate's friend. Who knew that his friend would have other great friends?

Chuck smirked again as he and Blair had gotten in their fifteenth argument after knowing each other for about thirty minutes. He enjoyed every little spat. And though he didn't know it, these were the building blocks that started his love for Blair Waldorf.

"I don't like that new girl," Blair stated simply as they headed towards the lunchroom during school.

She was with her three best friends in the entire world, Serena, Nate, and…yeah, Chuck, even though she downright hated him sometimes. They had all just left sixth-grade math class, the most boring subject that ever existed on the entire planet.

"Who, Georgina Sparks?" Serena commented as the four of them made their way into the crowded lunch room.

Chuck snorted. "She seems kind of hot," he told the other three.

"Well, I never said I cared what you think," Blair shot back in annoyance. She looked over at Nate, who seemed to be staring at transforming Serena's chest. "Nate, what do you think about her?" she asked calmly, hoping he would pay attention to her for once. They were practically a couple, and he was still pining for Serena.

"Huh?" Nate yelped, surprised that he had been addressed. "Oh, yeah, whatever Chuck said."

Blair proceeded to have a Waldorf meltdown, which was of course, taken out on Chuck, who had, after all, planted the idea in Nate's head. No one paid attention to her, though, except for Chuck, who grinned at her deviously. He secretly adored her Waldorf meltdowns, though it bothered him that she would take this out on him instead of Nate, who was the one who had said the offending comment. Why did the blame always have to be on him?

And then, Georgina Sparks swept towards them. The four of them all shivered unconsciously as they stared into her soulless eyes. Wherever she had been, it had taken the innocence and sanity out of her. She focused her face on Chuck, who unknowingly took a small step back.

"_Charles_ Bass," she stated coldly. She had a smile on her mouth, even though it didn't reach her eyes. That should have tipped Chuck off right there, but her stared at her with intrigue instead. "You know about the birds and the bees, right?"

Blair and Serena gasped, and Nate stared at Georgina Sparks in a whole new light. Chuck didn't flinch when Georgina reached for his hand and stroked it. He nodded quickly, not wanting to say anything in front of the second living female to ever intimidate him or make him feel nervous. The other one, of course, was Blair, though he would never admit it to her as long as her lived.

Georgina smiled again. "Well, if you ever want to…have a play date, meet me after school. We would have a great time." She winked at him and turned away, leaving the four of them to whisper frantically to one another. But instead of talking, Chuck was silent as the other three hissed at each other.

"Holy cow," Nate said, awestruck. He patted Chuck on the back. "You lucky dog."

Serena sighed. "I wish a guy would come up and say that to me," she lamented, staring at Georgina enviously.

Blair, however, was not pleased at all with this latest installment. She turned to Chuck and stared him. "Well, you're not going to meet her, right?"

Nate stared at her like she was speaking in a foreign language. "Are you kidding?" he asked his girlfriend, running his hands through his hair. "Who would turn it down?" Then, after seeing Blair's furious stare, he sobered up and looked at the ground, ashamed.

"Well?" she asked Chuck expectantly. "What are you going to do about it?"

Chuck looked at her with anger in his dark eyes. "I don't have to answer to you," he snarled, and he walked away from the group, heading to the men's restroom. Blair watched him go, and tried to realize why this was hurting her so much.

Chuck threw cold water into his face and tried to come back to his senses. What the hell? Why did Georgina have to choose to deflower _him_? He thought that he could make Blair jealous by accepting right there and then, but he didn't really want to. What other choice did he have? This opportunity would never happen again.

And besides, he thought angrily to himself, there was no chance with him and Blair ever being together anyways. They hated each other's guts. She was head over heels in love with Nate, and they would never admit their true feeling with each other, even if Nate was out of the way.

The facts were these: Georgina Sparks was really hot, she had given him an offer he couldn't refuse, and the sooner he realized that Blair didn't love him the way he was madly in love with her, the better off he would be in the end. He needed to get over Blair Waldorf. Though he refused to believe it, he would never get over her.

But Chuck had already made his choice.

Chuck stood outside the school, waiting for someone to walk up to him, to tell him something. He checked his watch. It was fifteen minutes after three and according to what Georgina had said it was officially after school. He tapped his foot impatiently. If that girl wasn't here in five minutes, he'd cancel on her.

Chuck sighed and leaned against his limo. Whenever she would show up…

"Chuck Bass!"

Putting on his usual mask of indifference, he glanced over at the petite Blair Waldorf, who, of course, looked as magnificent as ever. She held onto her tiny black purse like it was a lifeline. Her red ruby lips were twisted into a look of concern. Chuck came to realize that he adored the emotion on her face right now. It was just…breathtaking.

She marched over to him, trying to not act like a jealous girlfriend.

He smirked at her. "What do you want, Waldorf?" he asked casually. He looked her straight in the eyes, an amused expression hidden in his face.

Blair gulped. Chuck always made her this nervous, and she hated how he made her feel. It was another reason to walk away. But she stood her ground, her feet planted firmly on the dirty pavement. She wasn't going to back down or show any weaknesses.

"Tell me you're not going to meet Georgina," she demanded, holding her purse more tightly than ever. "I'm telling you, she's crazy, Chuck."

Chuck stared at her with those emotionless, unfeeling black eyes.

"You can't tell me what to do," he said simply. "I don't understand how it concerns you, Blair. Since when did you care?" He smiled as he saw Blair's shocked and hurt reaction. It was the exact effect he expected his statement would have.

Blair tried not to care, but she did. "I-I don't care!" she spat angrily. "Fine, go screw Georgina. I just wanted to stop you because Nate might get some ideas!"

Chuck's heart dropped. It was always about Nate. This was just the icing on the cake. Of course, she wouldn't care about him. In the end, it led up to Nate and how he would be affected by everything. Chuck's mouth turned into an angry snarl as he glared at Blair furiously.

"You and precious Nate can stay the hell away from me for all I care. Leave me alone, Blair. And look," he added, pointing above Blair's head. "My _guest_ is here."

Blair tried not to burst into tears as Georgina Sparks got into Chuck's limo. Chuck went in after her, and gave Blair one last glance. She seemed to be furious, but Chuck didn't care anymore. Blair was never going to want him. Why should he waste his time on the girl who would never be his?


	2. In Which Chuck is Eavesdropping

Sorry for the late update! I hope you all enjoy! I apologize for the crappy summary and title, so if you have suggestions please send me a PM. :D Also, do you know where I can find pre-series Chair stories? I love them so much! 3 If you know any good ones, leave me a link with a review, PM, or email me. Thanks! Here's the new chappie!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own GG. But here's a note to the Season 3 writers: UR DOIN IT WRONG. We seriously need more steamy Chair action. *fans self*

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"B, did he really?" Serena exclaimed happily. "That's wonderful news! I can't wait!"

Chuck listened to her from the other room, gulping down scotch as if there were no tomorrow. The rock in the pit of his stomach was making him feel sick. He knew this was going to happen eventually. He just didn't know what he was going to do when it actually happened.

"Are you really already planning out the wedding, B?" Serena continued to squeal. "If you don't invite me, I'll kill you!" Serena laughed as Blair said something on the other end of the line.

Chuck had still been friends with Blair, even after their nastiest fight, the Georgina Sparks deal. Chuck had regretted his decision every day afterwards, but he couldn't go back in time, no matter how much he wanted to. But after that, something changed between them. Blair was more guarded, and Chuck…well, he was the same old Chuck, perverted and gross.

But the years flew by, and before Chuck knew it, they were all halfway done with college, Blair and Nate were officially over, and then she had been swept off her feet by Joseph, a handsome prince charming Blair had met at college. Chuck hadn't known how to react to all of the news, so he drank. When he wasn't running his father's company, Chuck was in an alcoholic daze, not paying attention to anyone or anything, except for Blair.

"Are you going to invite…everyone?" Serena asked carefully. Chuck knew that the pause meant him. She wanted to know if Chuck was invite to the wedding or not. "I know, I know, ever since…the Georgina incident, it's been hard." Chuck leaned in closer, trying to pay attention to this new set of information.

Suddenly, there was a hand on his should. Serena's brother, Eric, was looking at him firmly in the eye. Chuck frowned at him.

"Chuck, what are you doing?"

"Eavesdropping," Chuck croaked, taking another swig from his glass. The alcohol burned his throat. "Oh- I'm drinking too, if that counts. Now, if you don't mind, please get the hell out; I need to have a listen."

Eric just stared at him. Chuck rolled his eyes and turned his head again, trying to listen to Serena. In a flash, the glass was snatched from Chuck's hand. Furious, Chuck spun around to see Eric holding it high above his head, taunting Chuck.

"Give it back," Chuck growled angrily. "Why do you give a damn?"

Eric still had the glass in his hand. "Because I'm your stepbrother, that's why. Chuck, be serious. Why are you listening to Serena and Blair?"

Chuck tightened his jaw and glared at the kid. He wasn't much of a kid anymore, though. "You know exactly why I'm listening."

Eric sighed. "When are you going to get over your obsession with Blair?" he asked wearily. This had happened so many times before.

Chuck snorted and turned his head again. "It's not an obsession," he muttered under his breath. "I could care less about Blair Waldorf."

"Then why have you always paid attention to her?" Eric pressed on. "Serena told me that ever since you were little, you liked her. And then the Georgina incident happened. I don't know the exact details, but from what I've pieced together, it hurt Blair and you."

Chuck snapped. "Blair has never liked me," he spat angrily. "And I've always hated her. So leave me the hell alone."

Eric put his hand on Chuck's shoulder. "If you like her, you're going to have to drop it now, Chuck. Blair's happy. She's going to get married to Joseph, and she loves him deeply. I know it'll be hard, Chuck, but if you really love her, you'd let her go."

Chuck gritted his teeth as Eric's words sunk in. "I…can't," he spat, the muscle in his jaw clenching tightly.

Eric shook his head sadly, because he knew that Chuck would never give up. "Then you don't really care for her," he stated, and Eric turned away from Chuck and walked out of the room. Chuck watched him leave, and then went to pour himself another glass of scotch. If he was lucky, the alcohol would numb him.

She didn't love Chuck Bass. She _couldn't_ love him. No, she _wouldn't _love him. Blair stared at herself in the mirror, mouthing the words silently. She looked pathetic, really, but she needed to do this. It was absolutely necessary. The white pearls around her neck shook as she continued to repeat her mantra over and over again.

"Chuck Bass is an ass, Chuck Bass is an ass," she stated firmly, looking herself in the eyes. "And you don't even like him. He's mean, stupid, rude, and he's not invited to the wedding."

She had just gotten off the phone with Serena, after telling her the wonderful news of Joseph's proposal. Blair couldn't have been happier with the news, and Serena was no exception. They both giggled and laughed like silly schoolgirls. It was almost as if they were in high school again.

Blair loved Joseph with all her heart, she really did. He was sweet, funny, kind, and best of all, normal. He treated her right, respected her, and never cheated. Joseph was cute, smart, and everything she ever wanted. He was amazing.

But when she came to Chuck, it was a mixed bag of emotions, which ranged from passion to intense dislike. She couldn't stand him, yet she couldn't stand life without him, especially when he…when he kissed her that one night while she was dating Nate when she was seventeen. As she remembered, the night's details came into place…

_They were all at Chuck's penthouse, and the music was blaring loudly. Blair had just finished her first and only drink of the night. She was not going to get drunk like some of the other idiots partying tonight. She, much unlike the rest of them, knew that getting drunk only meant trouble, not to mention it was tacky and classless._

_"How come you're not enjoying the party atmosphere, darling?" a smooth voice drawled into her ear._

_Blair shivered. Chuck's breath reeked of disgusting alcohol. Disgusted, Blair turned towards him and pushed him away from her. She was not going to be seen with him while he was in a drunken stupor. What if one of Gossip Girl's minions was watching her? She would be ruined, and Nate would question her faithfulness._

_It wasn't like he wasn't eyeing Serena hopefully, Blair had noticed enviously. Maybe she would have a talk with him later tonight. But Chuck made an offhand, probably disgusting comment, which brought Blair back into reality._

_"What do you want, Bass?" Blair asked, her dress getting wrinkled as she stepped away from him. Several kids were screaming loudly, holding bottles of wine above their heads. Blair glanced at them coldly, willing them to shut up. Of course, they didn't._

_Chuck winked at her. "You," he answered smoothly and delightfully._

_Blair shivered again, but it wasn't from revulsion this time. Blair pretended not to gag. She wasn't going to prove to Chuck that his words were getting to her. Instead, she stamped his foot with her four inch heel. He cried out in pain, glaring at her as he hopped away to nurse his injury._

_"Don't come back," she called after him. But he would. She knew he would. And secretly, she wanted him to._

_Twenty minutes later, while she sat on his couch, bored out of her mind, he was there, leering at her like a wolf. Blair didn't like his stare. It made her scared, and nervous. She acted like he wasn't there, and she sighed and scooted to the right side of the couch. To her mixed horror and pleasure, he sat next to her and threw his arm around her casually._

_"Why aren't you with the Prince?" Did he sound…concerned? Blair shook the idea out of her mind. That was very unlike Chuck Bass, so it couldn't have been possible. She rolled her eyes and snorted. He raised one eyebrow at her, amused._

_"That's none of your business," she told him coolly. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd prefer that you'd leave me alone."_

_Chuck leaned towards her, his hot breath tickling the side of her face. Blair took deep breaths, avoiding his eyes. If she looked into them, she would melt. She knew that Chuck was just playing her for a fool. She was not going to get tricked by him. She was too smart for Chuck Bass._

_"Kiss me," he whispered. His voice was warm and husky._

_Blair made a horrified sound if the back of her throat. How dare he suggest something like that to her? She had tried to show him that she had feelings for him with the Georgina incident, but that fool rejected her. Now she was going to reject his advances…again. But in order to trick Chuck Bass, she had to play along._

_Blair made a sharp, curt nod, and he smiled with wicked delight. As they both leaned closer to each other, Blair saw him close his eyes. She grinned too, knowing that his naïve behavior would give her an advantage. Just as his lips pressed against hers, Blair pulled back. He opened his eyes, confused, and she slapped him hard in the face._

_"What the hell, Blair?" he exclaimed, rubbing the side of his cheek._

_"You really have some nerve," Blair said coldly. She gave him one of her iciest stares, making sure that he would know that she was dead serious. "I'm with Nate, you Basstard. I would never cheat on him, especially with you."_

_Chuck pointed over her head. "It seems like he doesn't share your morals."_

_Blair followed his finger and saw Nate, her boyfriend, pressed passionately against Serena, both kissing each other like there was no tomorrow. Tears shot into Blair's eyes, and she tried to not to cry immediately. She didn't want to give Chuck the satisfaction of being right._

_"Oh, Chuck," she suddenly moaned loudly._

_Chuck froze and blood rushed through his veins, heating him up. He looked at her straight in the eyes, his dark pupils focusing on her beautiful face, with her ruby red lips and soft cheeks. She was staring at him with a strange look on her face, and then, without warning, she crushed herself against his lips, and they both began to kiss each other._

_He was a really good kisser, Blair noticed as they shared a long passionate kiss with each other. Ugh, probably from tonguing so many other girls. _

_He forced her mouth open, and she was willing. Chuck grabbed the back of her neck, the part he had been longing to touch for years now. Before anything else could happen, Blair was being pulled away from him. Chuck looked at her, and saw that she was being dragged away by Nate._

_"What the hell are you doing?" Nate yelled out angrily. Chuck stared at the two of them, breathing heavily. He hadn't noticed that he had been gripping one of the pillows tightly. He chest heaved as he looked at the shouting Nate darkly._

_Blair screamed right back into his face with fury. "Don't give me that load of bull crap!" she cried right back at him. "I saw you licking Serena's face off too! Forgive me for getting even, sweetie!"_

_As Nate closed his mouth furiously, Chuck began to process what was happening. Blair had used him to get Nate's attention. This hurt more than the slap in his face. He had allowed himself to get fooled by a woman, not once, but twice in one night. Once again, he had come in second to Nate. She only wanted him for a minute, just so she could get revenge at Nate._

_"All I want is for us to be happy," Blair pleaded, stroking his face. "We both need to be faithful. Do you promise?"_

_Nate sighed and gave her a tight hug. "It was wrong of me to get jealous," he admitted, "especially when I had been kissing Serena. I was drunk and I won't do it again."_

_"Good," Blair told him, and they both linked their arms around each other. As they started to leave, Blair stopped and wormed her way out of Nate's embrace. "Give me a second, okay?" Nate nodded and walked away from her._

_Blair strode over to Chuck, who regained his breath. He looked up at her from the seat of the couch, glaring at her angrily. Blair rolled her eyes, and looked down on him._

_"We'll never speak of this again," she told him sharply. "It meant nothing. Do you understand?"_

_"Nothing," Chuck repeated, his voice seething with bitterness. "It meant absolutely nothing."_

_Blair nodded and strode away. Chuck watched her go, and wished that he had chased her. He never did. Blair, on the other hand, was trying to ignore the passion she and Chuck had. She never felt that with Nate. It was wonderful, foreign, and it meant absolutely everything._

Blair shook her head, clearing the thoughts out of her mind. She was with Joseph now. If she was going to get married in June, which was five months from now, she needed to be prepared. It was already Christmas break, and Blair needed to focus on all the wedding details. She needed to forget about Chuck.

Just then, Blair's laptop made a buzzing sound. She had gotten a new email, which was probably from Joseph. The fact that Joseph never called got on Blair's nerves. She always texted and called, but Joseph insisted that he preferred emails instead. So Blair constantly had to check her email account every day.

Blair left the mirror and walked over to her computer. As soon as she moved her mouse, the email from Joseph popped up, with a subject line that read, "Hey Sweetie!" Blair smiled at the corny-but-cute message and read over the email rather quickly.

_Sweetheart,_

_I know it's kind of early, but what color do you want the tablecloths to be at the wedding reception? It can be any color you want, honey, but I just want to write it down early so we can have everything perfect before the wedding. How are you? Work is crazy right now. You're lucky you get Christmas break! Anyways, email me back! Love you!_

_-Joseph_

Blair smiled and hit the reply button so she could write back.

_Would purple be nice? I think it's a pretty color. I'm doing fine, honey. I'm just buying stuff like crazy. The spring season of fashion is on sale now, and I want to get my top brands early. Don't worry; I'm using my own money. ;D Anyways, I hope you can get a break soon! I love you too, bye. _

_-B_

Blair realized her fatal mistake right after she sent the email. She had typed purple without thinking! How could she pick Chuck's favorite color for their tablecloths? Blair buried her face in her hands and groaned inwardly at her stupidity. What the hell was wrong with her? Just as she was about to slam the laptop against the wall in rage, her head popped up as her laptop buzzed. It could only be another email from Joseph. Maybe he would say that purple was too ridiculous of a color. She lit up.

_Purple is great! Alright, I'll put the orders in. Okay honey, I have to work now; the boss is bothering me. See you at dinner at the great Italian restaurant, sweetie._

_-Joseph_

Blair's stomach dropped. Stupid Chuck! Even when she wasn't thinking about him, he was there. Damn him! Blair ran her fingers through her hair agitatedly. How was she supposed to get married happily if she kept thinking of that Chuck Basstard?

Someone started banging on their (she and Joseph had moved in together two months ago, but Blair hadn't brought Dorota along) apartment door loudly. Blair's head perked up and she stood up furiously. In an instant, she flung open the door, only to find the person she had been trying to forget for a week since she saw him at the giant party she had held at the apartment. Blair wondered why she had even opened the stupid door in the first place.

Chuck Bass stood in front of her, adorned in a sleek black suit. His hair wasn't slicked back like it usually was, and there were ugly purple rings under his eyes. In other words, he looked like a freaking wreck. The strangest thing however, was the look in his crazed eyes. It was tortured and haunted. But of course, there was his usual smirk on his face.

"Why don't we go out for some lunch?" he asked smoothly.


	3. In Which Chuck and Blair Go Out

And now we're picking up right where we left off- and I hope you all enjoy it! I still want to know if there are any pre-series Chair fics, so please let me know if there are any! Thanks to all of my wonderful readers!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own GG. I wish I did.

* * *

Blair slammed the door in his face, not even bothering to think. It was instinctive, fast, and as soon as it was shut Blair locked it. She took several deep breaths, trying to reassure herself that she was delusional and that Chuck Bass wasn't outside of her apartment. Chuck Bass wouldn't give up so easily.

He knocked on the door again. "I know you're in there Blair," he shouted through the door. "I saw you open it."

Blair held her face in her hands. What the hell was going on here? She leaned against the door, trying not to hyperventilate.

"What do you want, Bass?" she asked furiously. "Don't give me this, 'it's a friendly lunch' crap."

Chuck chuckled under his breath. "Well, I just wanted to take you out for some fun. Now come on, open the door, Waldorf."

Blair rolled her eyes. "I really don't want to spend an hour trying to deflect your nasty innuendoes. You can go away now."

"My treat," Chuck offered, knocking on the door again.

"It was going to be that in the first place," Blair told him, grinding her teeth in frustration.

Chuck stood there quietly. "You're just scared."

Blair stood up immediately, letting out an angry breath. "What are you talking about?"

Chuck smirked to himself. Manipulation was so easy when it came to Blair Waldorf. When something threatened Blair's pride, she would do anything to defend it. He knew Blair was probably bristling with anger right now.

"You know what I mean," Chuck said, being vague on purpose.

Blair stamped her foot, turned around, and opened the door. She glared at him with rage, trying to make him scared of her. His smirk never left his face, and Blair sighed in defeat. She knew he would never change. When she tried to convince Chuck not to go with Georgina, he did anyways.

"Fine," Blair snapped. "I'm not afraid of you."

She shivered when Chuck reached for her hand, and held it up to his lips. He kissed it longer than Blair preferred, but she didn't try to stop him. When he finally lowered her delicate hand, he smiled widely at her and offered an arm. Blair blinked twice and shook her head.

"Not happening, pal."

She noticed Chuck staring at her left hand for a second. She looked at him, and when he caught her staring at him, he looked away. Blair was suspicious for a second, but as soon as they began to walk, she forgot all about the jealousy in his eyes.

"Where are we going to?" Blair asked as they both got inside the limousine. It was warm and toasty in there, which was nice compared to the bitter cold New York winter. Chuck slammed the door behind him, and the limo started moving.

"A nice restaurant," Chuck answered, barking instructions out to the driver.

Blair crossed her arms and relaxed in the seat. She looked over at Chuck, who was staring at her intently. What did he want from her? Why did he invite her to lunch? And why, Blair wondered to herself, had she agreed to go?

"Nice ring," Chuck commented quietly, motioning to the engagement ring on Blair's left hand.

Blair's pulse quickened and she moved her hand out of his sight rather hastily. "It is nice," Blair commented.

Chuck continued to stare at where her left hand had once been. Blair's heart thudded painfully as she realized exactly why Chuck had invited her to lunch. He was going to trap her into telling all the details about the wedding.

"Why is it on that specific finger?" Chuck asked quietly. He needed to hear it from her. That she was going to get married. He tried not to seem too interested, but that question probably destroyed all his chances of seeming innocent.

Blair's face changed to defensive mode. "You know exactly why it's on there," she told him firmly, trying not to sound too strange.

"Say it," Chuck suddenly whispered, fire in his eyes. "Why is it on there?"

Chuck's smooth voice was commanding, and Blair felt her resolve to tell him nothing waver. "I-I'm getting married," she choked out. "You know who Joseph is. I introduced him all to you a few months ago, and he proposed two nights ago. I wasn't going to tell you."

The muscle in Chuck's jaw clenched tightly. "Why wouldn't you tell your best friend?" he asked slowly, using all his willpower not to explode. It hurt that she wouldn't even tell him that she was going to get married. How could she do something like that to him, after everything? "Did you really think I wasn't going to figure it out sooner or later? Or maybe you would visit me after you got hitched."

Blair moved her face away from him painfully. "You know we're not best friends," she whispered quietly.

"What are we, then?" Chuck spat, looking deep into her chocolate brown eyes. They were wide and fearful. Chuck had the sudden urge to take her into his arms and protect her from whatever was hurting her. Then he realized that he was the one doing the hurt.

Blair moved her face from his. She couldn't bear to look at his face anymore. Deep inside, she knew that she shouldn't even be here. She needed to go shopping, so she could think of her future with Joseph. How did she get in these situations?

"We're neither friends nor enemies," Blair stated simply, trying to keep her voice calm when she desperately wanted to scream. "Now please, I'd like to leave now. I don't feel comfortable having lunch with you."

"Blair, no–" Chuck began, raising his hands to protest.

Blair shook her head. "Driver!" she yelled out, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Please pull over!"

Chuck looked outraged when driver listened to her instructions. He opened his mouth to tell the driver off, but Blair covered his mouth with her gloved hand. He relaxed ever-so-slightly, his eyes softening for just a second. But it was only a second, because when the limousine stopped, Blair removed her hand from his mouth and opened the door, and his eyes grew black again.

It was snowing outside, and Chuck could see Blair's breath as she left the limo. She slammed the door, and he rolled down the window so he could see her one last time before she left. She turned to face him, her face filled with unspoken feelings.

"Can we be friends?" Chuck asked quietly. "Could we, Blair?"

Her face was tiny when she answered. "Maybe," she said. "But not until I'm married. Please, Chuck. Don't talk to me again." She strode away, right into a clothing store, clutching her purse against her body, as if it would make anything better.

Chuck watched her go, staring off into the distance, not really understanding what Blair had just said. What she mean when they said that they weren't friends or enemies? They weren't lovers, even if that was what Chuck desperately wanted their relationship to be. Did he really love her? Chuck pondered the answer to that question as the limo started driving away again.

He was Chuck Bass. Love and Chuck Bass wasn't even supposed to be mentioned in the same sentence. He was the bad boy, the womanizer, and the man who practically had little to no feelings in his empty hole of a heart. That was the reputation he had built for himself. He cared about Nate, and that was it.

But whenever he was with Blair Waldorf, he questioned that fact. She made his heart pump faster, gave his stomach millions of fluttering butterflies, made his palms go sweaty and made his mouth dry when she gave him one of her priceless smiles. Not only was she smart, devious, and manipulative, she was the nicest anyone had ever been to him, even though it was masked by bitterness and sarcasm. The Ice Queen had melted the cold vice around his heart.

Would he give up his life to save her? Would he do anything to get her? Would he fight for her, even if the odds made it seem impossible? Chuck knew the answer almost immediately.

He had been quiet for too long; he was in love with Blair Waldorf, and he was going to grab her before she would be swept away from another man's arms forever. He wasn't going to be a failure like his father always predicted he would be. If there was one thing Chuck Bass was, it was stubborn.

But as the limo drove through the snowy streets of New York, he remembered how Blair had made him feel in the limo while they were having their discussion earlier. He had never felt self-conscious, vulnerable, and weak. But he and Blair had passion that one night at his house, when she had kissed him. He couldn't forget that.

What if Blair saw the real him? That was thought that haunted him as went to bed alone that night.


End file.
